Lamp socket adapter



June 11 1935. L, @O N r AL 2,004,200

LAMP SOCKET ADAPTER Original Filed Oct. 2, 1931 Fig.1. 56 51 45 g 45 5645 45 CHLZGood/D By 7 J, 0 /450, ra.

W ATTORNEY.

" connected to the socket member 6, as by a conthe lower ends of the usual J-shaped bayonet 30 35 provided with heads l9 and nuts 21! at the under In assemhhhg the assuming there 35 140 The sdcket member is ofthe bayonet type ing a perforated screen and a telescope, not ger- 4o Patented June 11, 1935 i Q 1 T a UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE] LAMPSOGKET ADAPTER Carl L. Goodlin, Wilkinsburg, and Thomas J. OMeara, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to The Union Switch & Signal Company, Swissvale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October '2, 1931, Serial No. 566,572 V Renewed August'l1,,1934 i 4 Claims. (Cl. 173-357) Our invention relates to lampsocket adaptto the pair of screws 29 and in offset-plane relaers, and particularly to adapters for accurately tion thereto for a purpose hereinafter, set forth. focussing incandescent-lamp filaments in pre- The upper portion 25 of the socket member 3 cision devices, such as railway signals, although also has longitudinally-extending upper-edge slots 5 not limited to this field. r .31 and relatively fine interior screw threads 32. 5

We will describe one form of adapter em- The lower portion 26 of the socket member 3 bodying our invention, and will then point out carries diametrically-opposite bayonet-connector the novel features thereof in claims. P 34 for c operation with the slots 22 in the In the accompanying drawing, Fig. l is aside socket member 6. a l

view,partially in elevation and partially in sec- The adapter 3 further comprises a lamp socket 1 tion, of an adapter embodying ur inve ti n, 36 in the form of a tube telescopically related to showing a lamp mounted therein and a support he base porti0n24 and rigidly carryin a r n on which the adapter is m t d, Fig, 2 i a t like element, 38 having exterior screw threads plan view of the adapter, ,Fig, 3 i id 1 for loose cooperation with the interior threads vational view of the adapter, viewed in the di- 32 0f h s m mb 24- By h s m ns, t ;rection of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken I remainder of the p Socket being Substantially n th 11 1v 1v of Fig, 2, radially spaced from thelbase member 24, the

Similar reference characters refer to similar p Socket 35 y b moved along and about parts in each of the several vi w thelongitudinal axis of the base member 24 and Referring t Fig; 1,11 d i comprises i still have suflicient play relative thereto to allow 2 general, a, support 2, the adapter 3 of our inthe axes of the lamp SOCkGt member 36 and the v nt-i a d lamp 4 base member 24 to be tilted angularly about a h Support 2 comprises an insulating pivot in the local zone represented by the ringber of invertedsubstantially cup shape, and a like e1emeht33- 5 socket, -member 6 ecured thereto, as by rivets V The screws 23 and 29 are distributed aboutthe 1 extending through laterally-projecting portions adapter in different places, in Order h 9 of the socket member 6 and through the, insu- Screws 23 may hear against Y el ab e portions lating member. A terminal screw or binding or cars in the side wallsof the lamp-socket post ill is secured to the insulating member a member 36, and that the screws 29 may lie below ducting t p n t r, 1 A pring slots 4| which are provided. in the lamp-socket nector I4 extends throughan aperture I5 .in the walls for Cooperation With pins 42 011 t p socket member 2 and is connected t t n 4. Nuts 43 are provided on the screws 28 and 29 screw H. The terminal screws l0 and I! are for lhckh'lg the Same in P -V and upper sides, respectively, of the insulating areduplioate supports 2, one in service in a railb Th strap and Spring m m 12 way signal device and the, other at the place of I and 14, respectively, may be mounte d in grooves assembly, the adapter 3 is fi ed i t e supi th insulating b as Shown i port 2 at the place of assembly. Means, includhaving an accurately machined cylindrical body mane to this invention, are n employed t deportion in which 1 5 12 of t usual t termine the position of the lamp filament relatiany dispdsed at opposite Sides tive to the socket member 6. By this means, thereof t the exact height, angular position, and position R ferri g to 1 2 .3 and 4 t adapter 3 of tilt, if any, of the lamp-socket axis relative to A5 of our invention omprises a, base portibn 24 in the axis Of the socket member s are determined. the form of a metal cylinder having portions 25 The height is adjusted y turning e lampand 26 of different exterior diameters, the lower Socket member 35h! the base P t n AS portion 26 of smaller diameter being accurately 780011 as the necessary height a just ent has been machined to constitute a plug having relatively math}, thfiposition 0f the 131115 42 0h p 4 asnug sliding fit with thelsocket member 6. The tive the P111834 iOhvthe base Portion 24 is upper portion 25 is'of greater diameter and wall jus ed to the p p positioh- This latter adthickness to provide suitable thread bases for two justment is made by sighting through the slots pairs of radially-extending screws 28 and 29 3| in the upper edge of the base portion 24 and 05 therein, the pair of screws 28 being at right angles turning the socket member 36 away from the anfilaments of commercial lamps able length and therefore do elementof the lamp 4,

rscribed, they may then be taken to support 2 at the point of service connection, however, that in order to make the proper angular adjustment, it is never necessary to turn the socket member more than a quarter of a revolution, and the threads on the base member 24 and on the ring element 38 are purposely provided with such a fine pitch that the resultant disturbance in the height adjustmentwill, from a practical standpoint, be insufficient to have any appreciable effect on the efiiciency of any optical system with which the adapter is intended to be used, especially in view of the fact that the have a considernot provide an exact point source of light. With the height and angular or turning adjustments thus effected, if the.

filament of the'lamp is not laterally at the focal point desired, the screws 28 and 23 are adjusted until the exact focus is attained.

As indicated in Fig. 4,'when the lamp 4 is placed in the socket member 36 it engages a plunger 45 at the lower end of. the socket member. The

plunger 45, which functions as an electrical connector between the center base contact on the lamp d and the spring I4 on the support 2, comprises a-shank 46 that'slidably extends through an insulating plug 41, a lower-end head 48 for engagement with the spring M, an upper-end head for engagement with the center contact anda spring 50 for holding the plunger in its upper position until engaged by the lamp. 'The springand plunger structure also serves to'hold the position inthe slots 4| ber 36..

pins 42 more securely in of the lamp-socketmem- After the lamp 4 and the adapter 3 are adjusted at the place of assembly, as above dethe duplicate and mounted therein with absolute accuracy and without adjustment. When the lamp is renewed, the adjusting operation is repeated at the place of assembly because of discrepancies in the relation of parts of standard commercial lamps; it being one of the purposes of our invention to permit the use of ordinary lamps and render them absolutely ac-' curate by this means.

One advantage ofan adapter embodying our 1 invention is that adjustments between the socket member 36 and base portion 24 necessary to locate the lamp filament at the desired'heightwith respect tothe socket member 6 of the support 2, and those necessary to obtain the proper position of the filament in the two vertical planes, may each be made separately in the manner previously described without materially disturbing the other adjustments.

Another advantage of an adapter embodying curinvention is that since the adjusting screws 28 bearagainst the yieldable side wall portions 40 of the lamp socket member 3%, when these screws are tightened, the side wall portions are pressed firmly into engagement with the base of like element secured to said the lamp, thus securely locking the lamp in the socket member, and hence eliminating any possibility of the lamp changing its position in the socket member due to any clearance which might exist between the base of the lamp and the socket member. 7 p

While we have shown and described only one form of our invention, changes may be eifected therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as set forth in the appended claims. V

Having thus described our invention, what We claim is:. V

l. A lamp-socket-adapter comprising a base constituting a plug, at one end for cooperation with a socket member, said plug and socket members being of the bayonet pin-and-slot type, a lamp-receiving socket member at the other end of the base, the lamp and the lamp-receiving socket member also being of thebayonet pine and-slot type, means for adjusting the lamp-receiving socket member relative to the base and sighting means providing for accurate relative positioning of the bayonet elements of the plug and socket elements of the adapter. 7 V

2. Alamp socket adapter comprising an internally screw'threaded metal cylinder, the lower portion of which is accurately machined to provide a snug sliding fit with a lamp socket, a lamp socket member extending into the upper end of said cylinder with considerable clearance, a ring socket member withinrsaid cylinder and provided on its outer surface with screw threads which cooperate loosely with the threads on said'cylinder, whereby the socket member can beadjusted'along and about the axis of said cylinder and can also betilted a certain amount in any direction within -said cylinder, and screws screwed and cooperating'at their inner ends with said socket member for tiltingsaid socket member.

3. A lamp socket adapter comprising telescopically related sleeve and socket members, said socket member having yieldable tions, and means cooperating between the memthroughsaid cylinder I side wall porbers for adjustably 'moving-thesame in axial tilting relation including elements distributed about the members, certain of said elements extending through the sleeve against said yieldable side wall portions and cooperating therewith to force said yieldable side Wall portions into engagement with the base of a lamp which is mounted in said socket member to secure the lamp in a fixed position in said socket member;

4. A lamp socket adapter comprising telescopically related sleeve and socket members, said socket member having yieldable cars which are adapted to engage the base of a lamp which is mounted in said socket member to lock the lamp in a fixed position in the socket member, and means for adjustablyv moving said sleeve and socket members in axial tilting relation including two pairs of diametrically opposite screws screwed through said sleeve member in such manner that the inner ends of the one, pair of screws engage said socket member at said ears and that the inner ends of the other pair of screws engage said socket member to' said one pair;

' CARL L. .GOODLIN.

THOMAS J. OMEARA.

in offset plane relation 

